Having a baby creates an opportunity to enroll in health insurance outside open enrollment—but you still need to complete the enrollment.
Don’t assume the hospital adds your baby to your policy, or that notifying the pediatrician completes the process. Contact your employer’s benefits administrator, Connect for Health Colorado, or the appropriate coverage program promptly after the birth.
The deadline depends on where you’re getting coverage.
How long do you have to add a newborn?
| Coverage source | Enrollment timing | Coverage effective date |
|---|---|---|
| Employer-sponsored plan | Generally request enrollment within 30 days; check your plan’s deadline | Birth date when enrollment is properly requested |
| Connect for Health Colorado | Generally within 60 days after birth | Coverage can begin on the birth date |
| Health First Colorado or CHP+ | Report the birth promptly; applications are accepted year-round | Depends on eligibility and the applicable newborn coverage rules |
These are different enrollment processes. Don’t use the marketplace’s 60-day window as the deadline for your employer plan.
Adding your baby to an employer plan
Contact the benefits administrator as soon as possible after the birth. Federal special enrollment protections generally give you at least 30 days to request enrollment, with coverage effective from the baby’s birth date when properly requested.
Some plans provide a longer window. Get the deadline and required steps directly from the plan.
Ask what information you need to submit, how your premium will change, and when you’ll receive confirmation that the baby is enrolled.
Don’t wait for a Social Security card or birth certificate to arrive before making the enrollment request. Ask how to complete any missing documentation afterward.
Adding your baby through Connect for Health Colorado
A baby’s birth generally gives you a 60-day special enrollment period, and coverage can start on the birth date—even when you complete enrollment afterward within the allowed window.
If you already have marketplace coverage, update your application to include the baby and complete the plan enrollment steps. Adding a household member to the application and confirming their insurance enrollment are both important.
The change may also affect financial assistance. Review household size and projected annual income, particularly if parental leave or a change in work hours affects earnings.
Our Colorado subsidies guide explains financial help, and the MAGI calculator can help with your income estimate.
What if the parents are uninsured?
You can apply for coverage after the birth using the special enrollment opportunity. The baby does not have to wait until the next annual open enrollment period.
ACA-compliant individual plans cannot reject the baby, exclude a pre-existing condition, or charge a higher premium because the baby needs medical care.
However, enrollment still has to be completed on time. Don’t wait for the first hospital bill before starting.
Also, coverage beginning on the birth date doesn’t automatically cover prenatal care or other expenses incurred before that effective date.
Health First Colorado and CHP+
If you’re enrolled in Health First Colorado or Child Health Plan Plus when your baby is born, report the birth through your PEAK account, the Health First Colorado app, or your eligibility office.
Colorado’s published guidance says the baby can then be automatically enrolled in health coverage until their first birthday. Reporting the birth gets the baby added to the case and establishes their identifying information for care and billing.
Even if the parents have private insurance, check whether the baby qualifies for Health First Colorado or CHP+. Children can qualify under different income limits from adults.
Is the baby automatically covered under a parent’s policy?
Some policies provide initial newborn coverage, but temporary coverage should never replace a formal enrollment request.
The requirements vary by coverage type. Complete the enrollment, provide requested information, and pay any required premium.
A hospital accepting a parent’s insurance card—or initially submitting the baby’s claims under that information—isn’t proof that ongoing coverage has been arranged.
Ask for confirmation showing the baby’s name and coverage effective date.
Which parent’s plan should cover the baby?
Compare the actual options before choosing. Look at:
- The additional premium to cover the baby.
- The pediatrician, hospital, and specialist networks.
- Individual and family deductibles.
- The family out-of-pocket maximum.
- How much the family has already paid toward those amounts.
The least expensive premium isn’t always the least expensive overall option, especially when a baby needs ongoing care.
If both parents have separate insurance, ask how any overlapping newborn coverage and claims will be coordinated. Don’t assume you can simply choose which insurer pays first.
Before the birth: a short checklist
- Find out how to report the birth and the exact enrollment deadline.
- Compare available plans and check the pediatrician’s network.
- Identify who will complete the enrollment after delivery.
- Ask which documents can follow later if they aren’t immediately available.
- After enrollment, confirm the effective date, premium, and member information.
If claims arrive before enrollment is reflected in the insurer’s system, contact the insurer and providers. Keep your enrollment confirmation and ask whether claims need to be resubmitted.
Already pregnant and need coverage?
Don’t assume you must wait until delivery. Colorado recognizes pregnancy certified by a health care provider as a qualifying event for marketplace enrollment.
That Colorado rule differs from the general pregnancy guidance you may read about HealthCare.gov.
Get help arranging coverage
Contact us if you’re expecting a baby or need help with newborn coverage through Connect for Health Colorado.
Let us know the due date or birth date, your current coverage, and which family members need insurance. We can help compare the individual-market options and enrollment timing. For an employer plan, contact the benefits administrator directly to complete its enrollment requirements.